Cons

Introduction

Mono laser all-in-ones designed for the SOHO market have been slow to offer wireless connection, but Canon has taken up the banner with the i-SENSYS MF4780w. A compact, four-way multifunction machine, with fax facilities as well as print, copy and scan, it can connect flexibly via USB, 10/100 Ethernet and Wi-Fi.

Canon i-SENSYS MF4780w - Design

Although it’s quite a tall machine, it has a small footprint, thanks to its ability to fold in its control panel, paper tray and output paper stop. The intention is obviously to do this when not printing, though the feed tray has a cover to protect the paper from dust, if you want to leave it open.

The black and slate grey colour scheme and the machine’s angular lines give it a purposeful look and the 35-sheet Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) has a ‘fold-over and extend’ paper feed. The scanner lid is well counterbalanced and has extending hinges, making book and magazine scans easier.

The full-width control panel includes a five-line, backlit LCD display, which is bright and easy-to-use, together with a number pad and eight quick-dial fax numbers and interesting features such as quiet mode, paper-save copy and the facility to scan to either of two different PCs, via its network connection.

Canon i-SENSYS MF4780w - Features

Paper-save copy is a way of automatically scanning two or four pages and reproducing them shrunk onto a single page. This is quite useful, though not as paper saving as a two-up or four-up print facility, as you need the full A4 document to scan in the first place. Fortunately, the i-SENSYS MF4780w offers this too in its driver.

You can print wirelessly from a smartphone or tablet to this machine, using Canon’s new Mobile Printing App, which is a free download. This is a separate app from Easy Photo Print, used with PIXMA inkjets and it’s a shame Canon can’t provide a single utility to work with any of its printers.

The software bundle on CD includes Presto! PageManager, along with management and scanning software and a print driver. Fitting the one-piece drum and toner cartridge involves hinging the scanner section up and lifting the cover to the print engine. The cartridge slides down deep into the machine, but is the work of seconds to replace.